Guitarist Ty Longley made his living touring, playing for a variety of bands in clubs, hotel lounges, theaters and anywhere else they could find to perform.

His dad, Pat, could go on a tour himself, just appearing at all the shows scheduled in honor of his son, who was one of the 99 people who died as a result of the Feb. 20 nightclub fire at The Station in West Warwick, R.I.

Ty Longley was a member of the hard rock band Great White, and the fire started as a pyrotechnics display shot off at the beginning of the band's set.

A tribute concert held last weekend in Niles, Ohio, was only the beginning.

Friends of Ty Longley held a benefit show Saturday in Denver, and one is set for today in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Ty Longley's manager, Paul Woolnough, is planning a gig April 29 in Hollywood, and Pat Longley's cousin, Joe Bayer, will hold one May 25 in Covington, Ky.

"I'm thoroughly amazed to what's going on," said Pat Longley, of Hartford. "How can I begin to thank all these people?"

While he would rather have his son back, Pat Longley said the outpouring of tributes shows the impact his son had on those he met.

"Ty touched so many people," he said. "There are so many good things coming out."

Ty Longley used to live in Denver and the show there was organized at a club he used to play at. He also played at the club in Fort Wayne, and the show apparently was at least partly organized by Andy Pauquette, who gave Ty Longley his first touring gig with the band Scene of the Crime. Ty Longley later played there with Great White.

Woolnough told the Associated Press remaining members of Great White will play one song at the Los Angeles tribute.

The band has not played since the fire, and has no plans to perform again, Woolnough said.

Pat Longley said he thinks the outpouring of tributes from musicians shows that they can picture themselves in similar situations that Ty Longley faced.

"It's showing me how much of a brotherhood it (musicians) is," he said.

The concerts are raising money for the Ty Longley Memorial Foundation, which is being established at the Shenango Valley Foundation.

Pat Longley said the past week has been as emotional as any time since his son died. He, his ex-wife, Mary Pat Frederickson, and their daughter, Audrey Dinger, went to Los Angeles. On Tuesday, they collected Ty Longley's belongings.

"That was the roughest day of the entire deal," Pat Longley said. "I thought I was stealing from my son. It really hurt."

But, the next day, the trio had dinner with friends and Shenango Valley natives Joe and Linda Pollock Violante; Sharon native Bob Golub, who has made his name as a comedian and actor; Gary Meszaros and George "Jiggs" Warren, owners of the Three By the River restaurants and bars in Sharon; and Ty Longley's musician friend, Alex Gregory, at Ty Longley's favorite restaurant, The Toi.

"We had a great time sitting toasting Ty," Pat Longley said, apologizing for the cruel pun.

A woman sitting behind him offered her condolences. She lost two friends in the Rhode Island fire and used to work at the club.

Bayer has set up a slide show of Ty Longley at:

www.tylongley.org